Convertible car.



- PATENTED MAY 21, 1907. J. A. BRILL.

CONVERTIBLE GAR. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 26,1906. RENEWED APR. 23, 1907.

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PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

J. A. BRILL. CONVERTIBLE GAR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1906. RENEWED APR. 23, 1907.

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mvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CONVERTIBLE CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed June 26,1906. Renewed April 23, 1907. Serial No. 369,754.

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN A. BRILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Cars; of which the following is a specificatron.

My invention has for its object the construction of a car which will have all the advantages incident to a car with a double step, in which the second or upper step is substantially within the lateral limits of the car, as defined by the stanchions, and also the advantages of a convertible car in which an outside joint is provided for the panels and below the floorline of the car.

Heretofore where convertible cars have been made in which the step construction referred to has been used, the movable panel has been adapted to rest upon the floor, or thereabouts, and which limited the interior space of the car when closed, and did not provide as efficient a closing when the car was used as a closed car.

My invention, therefore, is adapted to overcome the defects of such cars, as will appear hereafter.

The invention also includes a novel filler adapted to close the space between the flooring and the panel when the latter is down or closed, and which may be adjusted when the car is used as an open car.

As my invention is adapted for use wherever a movable lower panel is utilized, I shall only describe the lower parts of the car, as convertible cars of various kinds, and especially those in which the panels are storable in roof pockets, are explained in full in various patents issued to myself.

In the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the car showing parts of my invention, Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. l, 3 is a vertical section showing the panel down when the car is used as a closed car. 4 is a side elevation of a car side showing the panel down, Fig. 5 is an elevation of the improved jointed bracket adapted to hold the filler, Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the bracket.

In the utilization of my improvement I desire it to be understood that the features of my invention may be used in any convertible car in which a step is provided which is partly within the side limits of the car, as it is defined by the stanchions, regardless of the particular description and the particular construction of the sill.

In describing my invention I will describe the sill construction used on the car to which I have applied my invention, but the same is also applicable in such cars as are shown in U. S. patents issued to me.

The car, by reason of the angle iron sill construction, has become known as the Z sill car.

The construction of the car, in so far as it is necessary to describe the same in this case, consists of a floor l which is supported by the longitudinal filler 2 which in turn is secured to the sill 3. Stanchions 4 which support the roof terminate below the plane of the floor and are secured upon the sill and extend laterally beyond the car flooring. The side sill herein illustrated comprises an angle.

iron metal having a vertical web 5 and a horizontal web 6, the web 5 abutting against the filler 2, the upper edge of which forms a continuation of the flooring 1 and the filler 2.

The lower web extends outwardly at the bottom and is the basis for the second step, that is, the step which is provided within the lateral limits of the car. The stanchions 4 are adapted to be secured to the sill by means of a box casting 7 in which the end of the post fits, and which forms a continuation of the post and its groove. The casting 7 is secured upon the sill web 6 and step plate 8 by means of bolts 9. The stanchions may be of any desired form, and has a curtain groove 10 which preferably terminates near the plane of the floor and at the point 11, or the upper edge of the casting '7. The curtain may thus be drawn to the floor when the car is used as an open car. Beyond the curtain groove is provided another groove 12 in which the panel is adapted to move, and the groove extends substantially to the sill of the car.

By making the groove in the post and the groove 13 of the post pocket continuous, the panel is adapted to move all the way to the step plate 8 where it rests, thus forming a weather joint below the plane of the floor which prevents the entry of rain, etc, when the ear is used as a closed car. In addition, the interior width of the car, when closed, is increased as the lateral distance between the panels is materially increased beyond what it would be if the panel groove were made to come to the flooring. The step plate 8 extends along the sill of the car and is'preferably secured to the sill web 6 by the bolts 9 which also hold the stanchion pockets upon the sill, although the same may be be made in separate sections and secured to the sill, or the sill web 6 may be made wide enough to serve as a stepping plate. I prefer, however, the construction shown herein, in which the step plates extend outwardly between the posts.

The car seats and division boards 14 are secured against the stanchions as desired. Herein the boards 14 are secured in a seat end panel 15 which latter are set into the inside surface of the stanchions and are secured thereto by means of bolts 16 which pass through the stanchion and panel. I also provide bolts 17 which pass through the stanchion pocket, the stanchion, the web 5 of the sill, the filler 2, and then across the car where they are likewise secured.

As the panel when lowered is some distance from the edge of the top of the sill web 5, it is desirable to close the space whenthe car is closed. For this purpose I provide an adjustable filler 18 which consists of a flat piece of metal with rounded edges 19 and brackets adapted to carry the filler and hold it in its adjustable positions.

As shown in Fig. 3, the filler extends from the panel'20 to the sill web 5 on the plane of the car floor, so as to give a continuous surface the entire width of the car between the panels, and when the car is used as an open car the fillers are adapted to be folded so as to lie face to face against the web 5, as is shown in Fig. 1.

The bracket which is adapted to carry the filler is shown in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, and consists of a casting 21 which has a central opening 22 for the reception of a bolt 23 (see Fig. 1), which holds the casting securely to the face of the stanchion pocket. This casting also comprises a circular portion 24 which is also provided with an aperture 25 and a pin 26.

As will be seen, the casting 21 is adapted to pivot on the pin 23. Another casting which comprises a second part of the bracket is represented at 27 and is composed of a plate 28 which has a central opening adapted to receive the pin 26 on the lower casting, and also a top plate 29 to which the filler 18 is secured by means of bolts 31 which pass through the aperture 30 in the plate 29. The pin 26 moves in a socket in the upper casting and forms a second pivotal joint.

As a means of determining the movement of the upper casting in its relation to the lower casting, I provide a flange 32 on the former which abuts against the latter at the point 33 in one position. It will be seen by referring to Fig. 3 that the filler rests in a horizontal position upon the bracket, and as a means for securing it in this position I preferably provide a casting 34 which is'bolted to the stanchion and which rests upon the face of the filler, so that the latter cannot tip in either direction.

I/Vhen it is desired to adjust the filler in the position shown in Fig. 1, the casting 34 is removed and the inner edge of the filler is tipped downwardly, thus causing the upper half of the bracket to rotate on the pin 26 until the filler is partly vertical, when the pivotal joint on the pin 23 will allow for the bracket being revolved until the filler rests face to face a ainst the Web 5. When in this position the edge 33 of the flange 32 abuts against the lower casting 21 and holds the filler securely in place.

Any suitable step may be provided below the sill to serve as a lower step for the car, but which it is unnecessary to describe here. The panel 20 is preferably a flexible one and extends down to and rests upon the step plate 8. When the car is open the panel is adapted to be raised into the roof pockets or other space provided therefor, as is well. known in car construction.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A convertible car having a floor and stanchions, side steps extending Within the lateral limits of the car as defined by the stanchions, and movable panels between the stanchions adapted to extend below the plane of the floor.

2. A convertible car having a floor, stanchions, and side steps below the floor, and within the lateral limits of the car as defined by the stanchions, and movable panels be tween said stanchions, adapted to be lowered and rest on said car steps.

3. A convertible car having a floor,- side sills forming a step within the lateral limits of the car, stanchions secured on the side sill and extending outwardly beyond the car floor, and movable panels for closing the space between the stanchions, and adapted to be lowered to the step, and below the floor.

4. A convertible car having a floor, and stanchions, side steps extending within the lateral limits of the car, movable panels be tween the stanchions adapted to rest onthe side step, and a filler between the stanchions on the plane of and adapted to form a continuation of the car floor.

5. A convertible car having a floor and stanchions, side steps extending within the lateral limits of the car, movable panels between the stanchions adapted to move below the car floor, and a filler between the stanchions inside the panels, when the latter are down, and adapted to be adjusted to lie vertically against the side sill when the panels are up.

6. A convertible car having a floor, a side IIO sill forming a side step within the car limits, F stanchions, and metal pockets therefor, said pockets and stanchions being secured to said step, and a groove in said stanchions and pocket extending to the side step, and a movable panel traveling in said grooves.

7. A car having angle metal side sills which have a lower horizontal web, a plate secured upon the said web and forming side steps, and stanchions secured to the step and sill web.

8. A convertible car having stanchions and movable panels for closing the side openings of the car, and a filler for closing the space between the car floor and panels when down, said filler being secured to the face of the stanchions -by brackets, whereby the filler may be moved from a horizontal position between the stanchions to a vertical position against the side sill.

9. In a convertible car having stanchions, and movable panels for closing the side openings of the car, a filler closing the space between the car floor and the panels, when the latter is down, said filler being secured to the face of the stanchions by double jointed brackets.

10. A convertible car having a filler secured between the stanchions by brackets which are pivoted to the stanchions, and are provided with a joint, a flange on said bracket adapted to form a stop for the joint in the bracket.

11. A convertible car having a filler secured between the stanchions by a bracket composed of two pivotal members, one of which is adapted to be secured to the filler, 1

and the other pivoted to the stanchion, and the flange 32 on the upper casting adapted to engage with the lower casting and form a stiff joint when the filler is in a vertical position.

12 A bracket for a convertible car filler comprising a casting having a stud thereon, a second casting provided with an aperture to receive the said stud, a top plate on the second casting adapted to be secured to the filler, a flange 32 on the second casting adapted to act as a stop in one direction for the joint in the said bracket.

13. A convertible car having stanchions, and a filler secured between the stanchions by brackets, said filler being movable on said brackets from a vertical position to a horizontal position and castings, a plate 34 adapted to be secured to the face of the stanchions for holding the filler in its horizontal position.

14. A convertible car having stanchions, and movable panels for closing the side openings of the car, and a filler between the stanchions, said filler being adapted to be folded parallel and close to the car sill.

15. A convertible car having stanchions, movable panels for closing the side openings, and a filler secured to the stanchions and adapted to be folded from a horizontal position to a vertical position against the side sill of the car.

Signed this 22nd day of June, 1906.

JOHN A. BRILL.

Witnesses:

AMELIA BRILL RIDDLE, HENRY C. ESLING. 

